Murder trial to begin June 12

Pa. man charged with numerous crimes in NSU student's death

Pa. man charged with numerous crimes in NSU student's death

April 21, 2007|By Scott Waltman, American News Writer

A Pennsylvania man accused of murdering a Northern State University student will stand trial in June. William F. Smithson, 42, is charged with 13 crimes in the death of 23-year-old Jason Shephard of Cavalier, N.D.. The counts include:

First-degree murder.

Second-degree murder.

Third-degree murder.

Aggravated assault.

Attempted rape.

Kidnapping.

Unauthorized administration of an intoxicant.

Unlawful restraint.

False imprisonment.

Tampering with evidence.

Abuse of a corpse.

Possession of a controlled substance.

Possession of drug paraphernalia. Smithson's trial is set to begin at 8 a.m. EDT June 12 in Delaware County. Smithson is also charged with 17 unrelated counts of possession of child pornography. His trial on those counts will be at the same time, according to Pennsylvania court documents. Law enforcers contend Smithson killed Shephard on Sept. 18 after the latter resisted Smithson's sexual advances. Shephard's body was found three days later wrapped in bed sheets and belts in the basement of Smithson's Thornbury home. Shephard was in Pennsylvania on a three-day business trip in connection with his internship with Brookings-based Daktronics. He had taken a semester off from NSU for the internship. Smithson managed Daktronics' office in Edgemont, Pa. A judge denied his previous request to have the charges dismissed because of a lack of evidence. The child pornography charges were filed after the murder charges. In connection with the murder investigation, law enforcers confiscated Smithson's computer, and that is when they say they found the inappropriate images.